Saplings or like immature plants in an orchard typically have to be supported and irrigated. It is known in the prior art to use a single generally horizontal line of heavy gauge high-density wire rigidly supported between spaced apart generally vertical poles. Plastic hooks or clamps are releasably suspended from the horizontal line of heavy gauge high-density wire to support sapling trunks generally vertically. It is known in the prior art to use plastic clips for releasably mounting saplings to the horizontal wire line. However, such plastic clips do not display the versatility of the supporting device of the present invention and typically due to harsh weather environments have a relatively high failure rate and must be seasonally replaced.
Canadian Patent No. 967,750 which issued May 20, 1975 to Zelinka for a Clip for Plant and Vine Line Suspension is one example of an attempt in the prior art to support a growing immature plant from a horizontal support line. Zelinka teaches using a generally rectangular sheet body having a plurality of transversely disposed line engaging slots formed in the body. The spaced apart slots cooperate to grip a vertical supporting line frictionally when the line is woven through the slots in the sheet body. It is neither taught nor suggested to provide a resilient supporting bracket which may be releasably mounted directly on to the horizontal supporting line.
In the prior art, applicant is however aware of a supporting bracket which is mounted onto a horizontal wire so as to support the wire adjacent a generally vertical member. In particular, applicant is aware of Canadian Patent No. 299,197 which issued Apr. 8, 1930 to Davidson for a Wire Securing Clip. Davidson discloses a U-shaped clip provided with loops for securing fence wires to fence posts. The loops are provided at the distal ends of the generally U-shaped clips and, once the clip is positioned around a fence post so as to extend the distal ends of the clip over the fence wire, the loops may be bent so as to wrap around the wire thereby securing the wire against the fence post. What is neither taught nor suggested is to provide a generally U-shaped clip or bracket having the spacial orientation of the present device whereby the ends of the device may be releasably secured to a supporting wire by resiliently deforming the clip rather than by bending of the ends of the clip so as to wrap the ends of the clip around the wire.